10 Summer-Themed Activities That You Can Do Today with Your Kids

Summer is right around the corner. It will be here before you know it. What do you have planned to do as a family to usher in the season? If you put your vacation on hold due to pandemic concerns, what will you do in place of traveling? 

Summer Activities That Deliver a Lot of Smiles 

There are plenty of things you can do to make the season memorable. After all, no one canceled summer. You may just need to plan differently than you usually do. 

Here are ten summer-themed activities that you can do today with your kids:  

1. Grow a garden. Plant your favorite vegetables, fruits, herbs, and flowers. Have your children get involved in the process. Even the youngest kids can put seeds into the holes that you’ve created and water plants using a small watering can. 
2. Throw a pool party. Blow up the pool floats and drag out the lounge chairs. It’s time to have a good time in the pool. Opening your family pool for the first day of the season is always exciting. It’s an entertaining way to spend the hottest days. 
3. Go on a nature scavenger hunt. Come up with a list of things to find in the wild. Then, have an adult snap a photo of each item found. The kid and adult who find the most items on the list are declared the winners of the activity. Everyone gets a prize for participation, so no one feels left out, though. 
4. Be a tourist in your city. Go somewhere you’ve never gone to before. Make a day out of exploring the area. Eat at a restaurant you’ve never been to before today. Document the occasion with lots of pictures that you can share online of your adventure. 
5. Have a cookout. Ask your kids what they would like to eat and then prepare all the fixings. Grill hamburgers, hotdogs, or plant-based burgers if you’re vegetarian. Fix a big spread of potato salad, pasta salad, and ripe watermelon. Enjoy spending time outdoors, eating, and having a conversation. 
6. Participate in your public library’s summer reading program. Find out the program’s requirements before you begin. Then, set up time throughout the day to read and work toward the summer reading program goals. Submit your entries to the library, so they count toward the prizes that are being awarded to people. Enjoy the activity of reading and the possibility of winning a prize while you’re at it. 
7. Bike somewhere fun together. Wear a helmet and bring your refillable water bottles with you. Go somewhere that you haven’t ridden before. Stop and enjoy a meal or a snack together. Make sure to apply sunscreen, too, to prevent yourself and your family from becoming sunburned. 
8. Locate a worthy cause in the area and dedicate time to it as a family. There are many ways to volunteer. From helping sort donations to spending an hour of your time visiting nursing home residents, you have many ideas to choose from. Pick one idea and make it a family affair. 
9. Build or decorate a Little Free Library. You can get the materials to build your own or order one from the LFL website. Have fun picking out a theme, painting, and decorating it. Fill it full of books and start updating the offerings as often as you want. It’s a great way to bring books to neighborhoods where there are few places to buy or borrow them. 
10. Join PostCrossing.com.  Send postcards to people anonymously throughout the world. Receive postcards from members in other countries in return. It’s a fun activity that you can do together that brings a lot of joy. Postcards are relatively inexpensive to send, too, making it an affordable hobby. 

You’ve got a list of ideas to inspire your activities. The main thing to remember is to approach each situation with a playful heart. It’s not about making activities perfect, either. It’s about infusing them with personality so that they become something that your children never forget doing.

Remember to Have Fun and to Stay Hydrated 

Enjoy a summer filled with activity thanks to the suggestions listed here. Remember to carry a refillable water bottle for every family member with you when you spend time outdoors. Dehydration is very detrimental to one’s health. You can avoid heatstroke and extreme thirst by avoiding doing things outdoors during the hottest hours of the day and sipping on H2O after doing any activity that causes you to sweat.